X-ray and radiation protection at the animal clinic
Why staff must be protected every single time
An animal that has an X-ray taken is typically only exposed once or a few times in its life. That is not how it is for clinic staff. A veterinary nurse involved in X-rays daily is exposed to radiation again and again year after year — and it is precisely this repeated cumulative exposure that makes staff radiation protection a separate and serious discipline not just a formality.
§Legal requirement: a designated radiation protection coordinator
Siden 2018 har det været et lovkrav, at alle dyrehospitaler og dyreklinikker, hvor der arbejdes med CT, MR, gennemlysning, dental røntgen eller almindelig røntgen, skal have udpeget en strålebeskyttelseskoordinator. Koordinatoren har ansvaret for, at klinikkens udstyr, instrukser og rutiner omkring stråling lever op til reglerne, og er den, du skal kende og spørge, hvis du er i tvivl om en konkret procedure på din arbejdsplads.
§The basic principle: distance, shielding, time
Radiation protection is based on a few simple but crucial principles: the greater the distance from the radiation source, the lower the dose; the better the shielding (lead), the lower the dose; and the shorter the time in the radiation field, the lower the dose. In practice, this means that staff should generally leave the room, if possible, while the recording is being taken.
- 01Leave the room during the exposure if it is at all possible.
- 02Use fixation aids such as sandbags, foam and tape to hold the animal in position rather than holding it by hand.
- 03If you exceptionally cannot leave the room, you must use full personal radiation protection — lead apron, shield and radiation protective gloves — and keep the greatest possible distance from the radiation source.
- 04Remove metal items such as jewelry and metal-buckled collars from the recording field before the image is taken.
- 05Make sure that only strictly necessary staff are present for the recording.
§Dose monitoring — your personal dosimeter
Personnel working with X-rays wear a personal dosimeter that measures the accumulated radiation dose over time. The dosimeter is worn visibly and consistently, and the clinic monitors the measurements on an ongoing basis so that no employee is exposed to a dose that approaches or exceeds the set limit values. A forgotten or incorrectly placed dosimeter gives a misleading picture of actual exposure and undermines the entire purpose of monitoring.
| Situation | Recommended action |
|---|---|
| Calm animal, routine recording | Leave the room during the exposure |
| Restless or scared animals requiring restraint | Use fixation aids first; only exceptionally personal restraint with full protection |
| Repeated recordings same day | Rotate the task between colleagues to distribute the dose |
| Doubt about correct procedure | Ask the clinic's radiation protection coordinator before you proceed |
§When the image should be repeated
A blurry or incorrectly angled image often means the exposure must be repeated—thereby exposing both animals and staff to radiation an extra time. Good preparation, correct positioning, and use of restraint aids instead of hands therefore not only reduce individual exposure but also the risk that the exposure won't succeed the first time.
“The best protection against radiation is the one you don't need at all — use fastening aids and distance before you use lead.”